Carry on my wayward son
by lorcheto
Summary: Warning: Contains major spoilers for season 5 finale. Tag to season 5 ep.16. A different take on the fight in Harvey's apartment. No slash, just brotherly love.
**Hey guys. I loved the finale! It was so heartbreaking and emotional, it was so inspiring.**

 **WARNING: Contains major spoilers of the season finale**

 **Carry on my wayward son**

 **Summary: Tag to season 5 ep.16. A different take on the fight in Harvey's apartment. No slash, just brotherly love.**

Harvey Specter was angry. He was pissed at everyone, including at himself. Mostly at himself. He had failed Mike. He had failed his little brother and he couldn't save him from going to prison. Just the thought of Mike going to a place with ruthless, hardcore criminals made Harvey flinch. How the hell did Mike stand a chance against these people? Mike, who could never hurt a fly, despite Mike's arguments that he had been on a wrestling team. Mike, who had been caught in headlock by none other than Louis Litt last year and Louis was anything else, but not a professional athlete. No, Mike wouldn't last a day in a place like this. He didn't need Gloria Danner to tell him that Mike was not going to survive in there, unless Harvey did something to toughen the kid up. But Harvey didn't want to do that. He could never hurt Mike and he couldn't stand the thought of anyone else hurting Mike. So, the only possible solution…the only way for him to protect his little brother, was to convince him to trade places with him. The question was how…how the hell was he going to do that. He had always admired the loyalty that Mike showed towards him and Jessica in situations like this…it was one of the things that he valued him for. And right now, it was this same exact loyalty, that prompted Mike to make the deal with Anita Gibbs, a deal that could possibly get him killed.

Harvey turned the key into his lock and was surprised to see Mike waiting for him on the couch in his apartment. At first he wondered how did Mike get in, but then he remembered he had given Mike a key during Mike's brief break up with Rachel last year.

"What the hell are you doing here?" asked Harvey, pretty sure, he wouldn't like the answer.

Mike gave him a glass of scotch and said:

"I need to talk to you."

"Good, because I need to talk to you." Said Harvey, even though he suspected that Mike had another conversation in mind.

"I want you to be my best man." Said Mike.

Harvey was confused. He really couldn't believe that in a time like this, Mike would be thinking about a wedding! Mike was going to prison in less than a day, and all he cared about was planning a shotgun wedding.

"What?" said Harvey, thinking that maybe he heard wrong.

"Rachel and I want to get married."

That was it! The exact moment, in which he could tell him to trade places. Mike was definitely not ready to go to prison! Mike's mindset was on his wedding, and not on the fact that he was going to spend the next two years in hell, surrounded by criminals.

"You are less than a day from prison, and you are thinking about dresses and flowers?!" Harvey.

"Harvey…" started Mike, but Harvey wasn't going to let him finish.

"No, you know what? I will be your best man, on one condition.."

"That ship has sailed." Said Mike.

"The hell it has. We can still call Gibbs!" said Harvey. "Get it through your head…this is on me."

"No, you get it through your head, I am not going to let you go to prison for a crime that I committed."

Harvey didn't want to tell him the truth about the verdict but Mike didn't leave him with a choice. He knew that it would break the kid….this is why he lied to him earlier. But now, that Mike was about to go to prison, he had no choice, but to break him.

"Well, I am not letting you go, because you were going to be found innocent." Said Harvey. The minute he said that, he saw Mike's confused look.

"What did you say?" asked Mike quietly.

"That's right, I lied. The verdict was not guilty." said Harvey.

"No, I don't believe you!" said Mike, desperately wanting to believe that he did the right thing and unable to believe that Harvey had lied to him earlier. His hopes were shattered when Harvey said:

"Then call the goddamn guy."

"Why the hell would you lie to me?" asked Mike, even though deep down he knew the answer.

"Because, the truth would have broken you." said Harvey.

It definitely did break him. Mike could tell it did. Mike felt like someone had pushed a knife inside his heart and was now twisting it and that someone was Mike himself. He did it to himself. He took the deal. It was his fault. He knew what Harvey was doing and why he was doing it, and while he did appreciate it, but he couldn't let Harvey suffer for something that he did, especially if he was going to be found innocent and he just threw his whole life away. He could never let Harvey take the fall for him. So he couldn't let Harvey know that it broke him, because that would prove to Harvey something that he already thought of him – that he was too weak to go to prison. He really wanted to get out of there, so that he could go home to his beautiful fiancé and break down and cry in her arms. He quickly regained his composure and, masking his real emotions, just like Harvey had taught him he said:

"Oh, except now you want to break me?"

"Because it is the only way you were going to let me do it. You think putting a ring on Rachel's finger is going to make it all go away? "

"You know what, Harvey. If you want to come to my wedding, let me know." Said Mike and started walking away.

Harvey wondered for a second, what to do to make Mike stay a little bit longer. He couldn't let this be their last conversation. Unlike what Mike believed, he actually saw Mike was seconds away from a breakdown. He could see the hidden anger and devastation in the kid's eyes and he knew that he needed to let it all out, before he went to prison. So, he took the glass that was in his hand a threw it Mike's direction, breaking it into the wall.

Mike ducked, to avoid the shattered pieces of glass, and turned around giving Harvey a look saying: "Are you crazy?"

"You want to go to prison? Rule number one: Never turn your back on anyone." said Harvey.

"I know what you are doing, it's not gonna work." Said Mike.

"I am not trying to take you place anymore." Said Harvey, which unfortunately was the truth. Mike was never going to let him take his place after this conversation. "I am trying to get you ready like Gloria Danner asked me to. Because you are weak."

He added the last part to provoke the kid. He didn't really think that Mike was weak. In fact Mike was one of the strongest people he knew. But survival in prison wasn't about strength, it was about toughness, and ability to hold up in a fight…qualities, that Harvey knew Mike had deep inside, after he saw what he had done with Logan Sanders last year, but he wanted Mike to know it too.

"I am not weak." said Mike.

Harvey started pushing Mike.

"Hit me! Come on, hit me! You think you are not weak? Louis Litt caught you in a headlock. Tess's husband kicked your ass. Logan Sanders hooked up with Rachel…what do you think he is going to do with her…."" BAM. Mike's fist connected with Harvey's chin. Mike continued hitting him with all the strength that he had.

"Is this what you want? That hate you? That you made me do this? I am gonna lose everything because of you." Yelled Mike and tossed Harvey across the room. After that Mike felt his legs could no longer hold him. He leaned against the wall and started crying.

Harvey wiped the blood from his mouth and sighed. This breakdown was inevitable. He hated hearing his little brother's sobs. It brought tears to his eyes as well. He had to try to convince him one more time. He went to his side, put a hand on his shoulder, held him tightly and said:

"Please, Mike, let's call Gibbs."

Mike just shook his head and said, between sobs:

"I can't do that, Harvey! I can't hate you! I can't let you take the blame! You are like a brother to me. I was the one who made the deal. I was the one who didn't wait for the verdict and I was the one, who committed the actual crime. What do you want me to do? To admit that I am scared? I am. I am terrified, Harvey….but I did this. I have to take responsibility for what I did, otherwise I would never forgive myself. And it wouldn't even matter that I was found innocent, because this is still my goddamn crime."

"Mike, I can't let you…."

"Let me do what? Turn myself in?! Go to prison?! Tough luck, Harvey. This time is not up to you. This is one mess you can't fix! Remember, the puppy analogy you used 4 years ago? Well, now the puppy has actually made one 11big mess, that he alone has to fix and there is nothing anyone can do to stop it! Not even you! "

After that speech, Harvey couldn't help, but feel proud. Maybe Mike could survive in prison after all.

"Well, you are right about that…except for one thing…you are no longer a puppy. You stopped being a puppy a long time ago, it just took me a long time to accept it. You've been fixing your own messes for two years now, and for the past few months, with Donna gone, I was the one who relied on you, more than you ever did on me. When Jessica threatened you, you fought back, when Louis found out about you, you didn't let him win, when Logan kissed Rachel, you kicked the shit out of him. This sounds like a big dog to me. You have come a long way since the wide eyed drug dealer, who didn't even know how to file a subpoena. And while you may not have degree, you will always be a lawyer. Promise me, one thing…..when you get in, you fight like hell to survive! Be the fighter, who I know you can be and never let anything or anyone break you, Mike. Come back to us in one piece, Mike…Rachel would be devastated if you didn't."

Mike couldn't help but chuckle a little bit:

"Really? After that speech, you want me to believe that _Rachel_ would be the only one who would be devastated if I didn't make it? You still want to play tough guy, even though I can see the tears forming in your eyes and you just wanted to trade places with me?"

"Okay, fine…everyone would be devastated...Seriously Mike….watch your back in there." Said Harvey.

"Are you admitting that you care about me?" inquired Mike, raising one eyebrow.

Harvey couldn't help but smile a little. Of course, Mike would somehow turn this into a dialogue in order to try to get him to admit that he cares.

"No, of course not. But I absolutely care about me and you are a reflection of me, therefore if you die in prison _,_ a part of me will die with you. Like Dean Winchester said once: "There ain't no me, if there ain't no you."

Of course, leave it to Harvey to admit that he cares, with a quote from a TV show.

"Dean Winchester? Whoa! Don't you think you are ahead of yourself there?" said Mike.

"What? I can pull it off! He kicks ass on his cases while also looking after his pain in the ass little brother. Sounds exactly like me."

"You do get, that that makes me Sam, right? "

"Damn straight. Come to think of it, you do have a lot in common. You are both idiots, who are willing to sacrifice their lives for the good of the world! And just like he went to hell and came back, I want you to go and come back from prison."

"You do get, that he lost his soul in hell, right?"

"Yeah, he did, but Dean got it back for him. And if something like that happens to you, I promise I will go and get your soul myself….I wouldn't care if I have to face Lucifer himself."

"Thanks, Harvey….this means a lot to me. And I promise, if you ever find yourself in Purgatory, I would never stop looking…even if you wanted me to." said Mike. Both men chuckled. "I am sorry, by the way, for hitting you so many times…"

"It's okay. It makes me feel better knowing that you have it in you. Not that I ever doubted it. After I saw what you did to Logan Sanders, I knew that you had fight in you. I just wanted you to know it. I am sorry too…for telling you the truth about the verdict."

"It had to be done. Harvey...thank you. For everything… Now, before we burst out singing "Carry on my wayward son.", I have to go and talk to Rachel. We can't get married under these circumstances."

"It's such a shame…it's a beautiful song… _"Carry on my wayward son, there will be peace when you are done."_

"Okay, I am going now. And you go to bed, please don't sing anymore. You are going to make your neighbors hate you."

" _Lay your weary head to rest. Don't you cry no more."_

"Jerk!" said Mike and laughed for the first time since this whole trial thing started.

"Bitch" said Harvey back. After that Mike closed the door and left.

Harvey suddenly realized that maybe they were exactly like Sam and Dean Winchester – fighting each other, fighting others to save their world and also willing to sacrifice everything for each other.

 **FIN.**

 **Okay, I know that comparing Mike and Harvey to Sam and Dean may be a bit too much. I am sorry if I wrote them out of character. I am really sorry. It's just that the entire situation in the final episode reminded me a lot of** _ **Supernatural.**_ **I just had to add some humor in this heartbreaking scene and heartbreaking episode.** __


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